Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

10.5. Doing Regular Press Releases

People tend to believe what they read in the news, so to increase your credibility, make yourself newsworthy. I regularly broadcast press releases through RISMedia, which can deliver my releases to thousands of subscribers almost instantaneously.

10.5.1. Prepare Your Press Release

When a newsworthy event occurs (or is about to occur), start writing. Announcing something that happened a week ago is not news. As you write, follow these guidelines for composing your press release:

• Read some sample press releases first. Model your press release after others that you find interesting and informative.

• Start with an intriguing headline. Nobody is going to read your press release if the headline sounds boring. The headline should draw people into the article.

• Start the first paragraph with the city, state, and date. Location and time set the stage for the rest of what you have to say.

• Stick to a single page. You have very little time to make your point. Remember, your goal is to convince people who read the release to call you; 300 to 750 words is best.

• Don't advertise. A press release is an announcement worthy of the news, not an advertisement for products or services.

• Edit carefully. Your press release is a reflection of you, so make sure it is well-written and free of typos and grammatical errors.

• Obtain permissions for quoted material. If you want to quote someone in a press release, obtain permission from the person or company you're quoting.

• Include ...